Presently, when backers of a ballot initiative seek to qualify the initiative, they must obtain a prescribed minimum number of valid signatures from registered voters within the appropriate jurisdiction (e.g., state, county, city, etc.). Typically, these signatures must be obtained by personally convincing voters to physically sign petitions for placement of the initiative on a ballot as prescribed by law. Proper identification of the voter must be obtained. This signature-gathering process is costly as well as labor-intensive. Further, in current signature gathering efforts, the employee gathering the signatures cannot easily verify the eligibility of the person to vote. As such, duplicate efforts must often be expended as signature counts fall below the required numbers once ineligible signatures are removed from the roster.
A need exists for a method for obtaining signatures to qualify an initiative, referendum or other form of petition that reduces the required expenditure of time and labor. A further need exists for immediately ascertaining whether the user signing a petition is eligible to endorse a petition for placing an initiative, referendum or other matter on a ballot.
A still further need exists for a method for obtaining a user's opinion in circumstances where a signature or other validation of a user's identity to authenticate the opinion reduces the required expenditure of time and labor involved in obtaining such authenticated opinions.